Families can 'Camp Out at Camp Kane,' a live history event
On Saturday, Sept. 24 and Sunday, Sept. 25, area families are invited to enjoy an overnight campout with the 8th Illinois Cavalry at Camp Kane in St. Charles.
Camp Kane is the Civil War training camp where thousands of soldiers trained and prepared for battle in the Civil War. The Camp Kane Heritage Foundation and 8th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Regiment are presenting the inaugural "Camp Out at Camp Kane," a family-oriented fundraising event to benefit the Heritage Foundation's efforts to build an education center at the Camp.
According to Bob Johnson, president of the 8th Illinois unit, the event will feature many familiar camping activities (sleeping in tents, hot dogs and marshmallows over the camp fire, storytelling), combined with a unique twist: an opportunity to learn the history - and historical significance - of the Camp Kane site.
"Members of the 8th Illinois Cavalry will also be camping overnight, in their tents with their gear indicative of the Civil War era," Johnson explains. "They'll talk with the family campers about life as it was during the Civil War, and the rigorous training they went through to prepare for battle.
"We'll also go through some training exercises with the kids and their parents. After it gets dark, they'll have an opportunity to go on picket duty with the soldiers."
The event begins Saturday, Sept. 24, with tent set beginning at 3 p.m. Registered families must bring their own tents and camping gear. Also, they are encouraged to bring snacks, beverages (no alcohol), and breakfast. To register, visit www.campkane.org/events.html.
The Heritage Foundation and the 8th Illinois members will provide hot dogs and chips for dinner Saturday night, along with marshmallows.
The cost per family/tent is $20. Proceeds will go toward the Camp Kane Heritage Foundation's plans to construct a circular pad with tiered seating for an education center. The center will serve multiple purposes, including for classroom field trips to learn about the historical significance of the site.
"This land is the last remaining Civil War training camp in Illinois," Johnson points out. "One thousand two hundred soldiers trained here in 1861, as the 8th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. They went on to fight in many of the most famous battles of the Civil War, including being credited with firing the first shot at Gettysburg.
"Another 700 men trained here in 1863, and served in the 17th Illinois Cavalry Regiment. These soldiers also came from throughout the greater northern Illinois region, and served with honor."
Camp Kane was established by Colonel John Farnsworth, a St. Charles resident, a U.S. congressman, and personal friend and confidante of President Abraham Lincoln.
Farnsworth also was a staunch abolitionist, and whose mansion on the hilltop on the west side of the Fox River, is believed to have been a stop in the Underground Railroad.
"St. Charles was a major stop in what was known as the Quincy Line of the Underground Railroad," says Johnson. "So now people can begin to see the rich history of this site, appreciate its historical significance, and why the current members of the 8th Illinois Cavalry are so proud and pleased to finally be back 'home.' It meant a great deal to our members when the City of St. Charles rededicated this park as Camp Kane."